Firefly Returns…In Comic Book Form

Fans of Joss Whedon’s all-too-short sci-fi series Firefly have been campaigning for more adventures from Mal and the rest pretty much from the moment Fox canceled the damn thing. And all that attention did work in a way: we got Serenity, a big-screen bit of closure that was both awesome and characteristically heartbreaking for some of our favorite characters. But the Browncoats still didn’t want to accept that their favorite show was dead, and over the years there have been countless rumors about how Firefly might return as another movie, or a new show on Netflix, and so on. One medium where Firefly has enjoyed an extended life has been on the comics page, and now it looks like the crew of Serenity will be returning in that form once again.

Dark Horse Comics has published numerous Firefly/Serenity comics in the past, including mini-series, one-shots, and short stories. Now Dark Horse has begun teasing a new Firefly project (projects?), posting the above image and the following announcement on their blog:

Joss Whedon’s beloved Firefly series and Serenity film’s lifespan may have been short-lived, but managed to produce one of the most dedicated fanbases in the history of modern science fiction. Dark Horse is proud to be able to keep Mal and his crew flying with new comics and products. Look for the hashtag #WheresSerenity over the next few months on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages for exclusive news on the future of the franchise at Dark Horse!

While the full nature of the new Firefly project has yet to be revealed, Dark Horse has continued releasing images to their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, including a step-by-step tour through the creation of one piece of art, as seen below. They’ve also added the hastag #FireflyFridays, if you’re looking for an easy way to keep track of the new Firefly developments.

So the big question remains, is this going to be another miniseries? Or perhaps something even more exciting: a new ongoing series. So far most of the Dark Horse Firefly comics have been set prior to the movie Serenity, which allows for the use of all the main characters, even the dead ones (sob). Could this new project instead move the franchise forward, continuing on beyond the events of the movie? I can certainly understand the desire to keep playing in the timeline’s earlier events, but I would be much more intrigued to see how Whedon’s universe would continue past the ending we were left with in Serenity.

The concept of a continuing, in-canon comic series picking up where a completed/canceled TV series left off has major precedent when it comes to Joss Whedon’s creations. In 2007, Whedon and Dark Horse launched Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight, which continued where the show left off and featured writing from Whedon as well as show veterans such as Drew Goddard, Jane Espensen, Doug Petrie, Drew Z. Greenberg, and Steven S. DeKnight. Echoing the TV format, Season Eight wrapped up in 2011, then transitioning into Season 9, which is still ongoing. Angel got the same treatment, first at IDW Comics and then moving over to Dark Horse. Whedon’s Dollhouse has also been expanded in comic form courtesy of Dark Horse.

If we do get an ongoing Firefly series, I hope it will follow suit and bring in some of the mega-talented show writers, including Ben Edlund and Tim Minear, to pen some issues.

It may not be a new movie or TV show, but it sounds like Firefly fans definitely have something to look forward to. Stay tuned to GFR for more information when we know it. (In the meantime, there’s always the board game…)